Minister Nankhumwa blasts city council for late market fire fighting
Local government and rural development minister Kondwani Nankhimwa on Friday had no kind words for officials at Lilongwe City Council and suggested heads might roll after they came to fight fire at a market two hours late.
Nankhumwa, known for calling a spade a spade in his approach, expressed concern that the council fire brigade could not make it on time because of lack of fuel and later discovered they did not have enough fire fighting water.
“This is very serious. The government would replace the irresponsible officers,” warned Nankhumwa.
The fire, which has burnt billions of merchandise to ashes, has left 5000 traders and vendors destitute, hopeless and helpless.
Some of them took to the streets in the morning, violently though, battled with the police as they expressed anger over council inefficiency to fight the fire that started at around 3 am and fire brigades showed up at 5 am when almost everything had been lost in the raging inferno.
One of the traders who lost everything in the inferno, Daniel Kamila said there was need for the council to find preventive measures of market fires.
Cabinet ministers, including Home Affairs minister Grace Chiumia and the police chief Lexten Kachama visited the market after calm returned in Old Town in the afternoon.
Leader of Malawi Congress Party Lazarus Chakwera was also scheduled to visit the market in the afternoon.
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This is very serious. The government would replace the irresponsible officers,” warned Nankhumwa. This is why Malawians want to see, osamangokalipa. Do things like Kamuzu Banda.
It’s very sad but the whole blame can not be piled on the Fire Department of the City Council.It is a known fact that the speed of their vehicles can not exceed that of the inferno.
Usually they come to eliminate the fire escalation and not to protect people’s property.
The way the market is densely congested with informal structure leaves a lot to be desired.
This whole issue of the market needs a whole dimension or else mulirabe; simunati.
DONT BLAME FIRE FIGHTERS
RATHER BLAME THE GVT
HOW DO WE EXPECT THE FIGHTERS TO FIGHT FIRE
IN THE NIGHT ???
WERE THEY ON DUTY IN THE
NIGHT ???
WERE /ARE THEY TRAINED OR
THEY ARE SONS AND DAUGHTERS OF POLITICIANS ??
WHO WILL DO OR DOES
RECOMENDABLE JOB IN
MALAWI ??
IT SEEMS THERES TOO MUCH
NEGLIGENCE AND LAZINESS
PLUS I DONT CARES
Blaming the wrong people minister. In all fairness this is you minister failing to do your work.When are we going to have a minister as good as the mayor of Blantyre city. Minister you should have identified this problem before the disaster. This is reactive kubwebweta. You should lean to be proactive minister. Now we know we have a problem in our urban areas can we see well serviced fire engines fully fuelled water tanks filled. Three shifts per day and properly trained fire fighters. Otherwise inu mumangobwebweta basi. Useless government manned by foolish president and ministers.
Privatize the fire department
The writing has always been on the wall. This Malawian horrible attitude towards work and always being unprepared for anything has for long been torelated. We have lost lives, property, land, passports, lake, etc because of this I dont care attitude. APM please show leadership by firing some of these people to be an example to others. Heads must roll at this City Assembly, Escom, corrupt Water Boards, Immigration, Road Traffic, Lands, etc. Act now or else the citizens will act on you. What Kind of a country is this where daily you read of corruption or inefficiencies. STOP THE… Read more »
This is the most thoughtless article. Vendors must not be helped at all because they bring this problem on themselves. Careless frying of chips, unplanned shacks being used as cafes. Even if the fire vehicles had water and fuel how on earth could they have accessed the market? The entrances are completely blocked even a vits can’t access the market. Why should govt help these rude obstinate no good for anything vampires? They can’t take advice from anybody. Materials that are harzadous to their health are kept in the market.
TRUTH SHALL PREVAIL
1. We have frequent fire incidents which have gone and destroyed at wanton with prausible action from those responsible and being paid for this. 2. I have never seen any fire fighting drills by any of these useless for nothin so called fire fighters. They dont even have skills and tactics to quell raging fire 3 They lack vigilance and act as if somebody is going to let them know that fire is coming tonight so get ready. 4 I wonder why everytime the vehicles have no fuel but the council teams are always at the service stations transacting fuel… Read more »
Its time for revolution in Malawi. Malawi has never been so bad as it it to Day. It was Bakili fault and also Malawians corwardness. How stupid can u be to let this go on. The country is given to relative like a plate. In government Jobs are given to relatives and friends withiout education. That could never had happened during Kamuzu Banda. Education meant alot to him. APM Its nepotism which he cares. It was wrong to let him rule Malawi. How could u allowed this. Now Mbendera dead he will continue ruling 2019. A man is a killing… Read more »